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Query: UNIPROT:P01178 (oxytocin)
 15,767 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Acceleration patterns of the fetal heart rate, or a normal heart rate during spontaneous contractions, were used as a short weekly screening test to evaluate fetal well-being in 1102 high-risk pregnancies. When accelerations or contractions were absent during the initial screening, oxytocin was administered to stimulate uterine contractions. The mean duration of the antenatal monitoring was 18.5 min when the initial antenatal monitoring was normal, but 38.8 min when the initial results were uncertain. Oxytocin was administered to 38% of patients. This reduced the number of occasions where the diagnosis was uncertain from 46.6% to 12%. Patients with uncertain antenatal fetal monitoring had significantly more late decelerations during labor as well as newborns with low Apgar scores when compared to those with normal antenatal monitoring. Patients with abnormal antenatal monitoring (positive stress test) had significantly more low 5-min Apgar scores, late decelerations during labor and growth-retarded infants than the patients with normal antenatal fetal monitoring. Only 1 intrauterine death occurred within 7 days of a normal antenatal heart rate recording. No preventable fetal deaths occurred when antenatal monitoring demonstrated an acceleration pattern of the fetal heart rate.
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PMID:Combined (stressed and non-stressed) antenatal fetal heart rate monitoring. 26 1

Oxytocin was infused in 22 randomly selected pregnant women after extraamniotic hypertonic saline instillation. In another 24 pregnant women no oxytocin was infused at midtrimester abortion. There was no difference between the two groups in mean time from saline injection to expulsion of the fetus.
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PMID:The effect of oxytocin on hypertonic saline abortion. 26 33

Oxytocin was used to induce parturition in 6 mares and to determine the hormonal changes occurring during and for 72 h after parturition in the mares and their foals. Normal, healthy foals were born shortly (about 34 min) after a single i.m. injection of 40 or 60 i.u. oxytocin. There was no retention of fetal membranes and all mares produced ample milk. Immediately after foaling oestrogen and progesterone levels in the dam were 36 and 29% of preinjection means while the total corticoid levels remained relatively constant throughout the sampling period. The systemic levels of total oestrogens, progesterone and total corticoids immediately after birth were significantly (P less than 0.01) greater for the foal than the dam, and all declined in the foal throughout the 72-h sampling period. The levels of oestrogens and progesterone were greater (P less than 0.05) in the umbilical vein than umbilical artery, indicating the endocrine function of the placenta. However, total corticoids were greater in the umbilical artery than in the umbilical vein. The corticoid level in the jugular vein of the foal at birth was greater than that of the umbilical vein suggesting a fetal contribution to the total corticoid level.
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PMID:Hormonal changes in the mare and foal associated with oxytocin induction of parturition. 28 34

Oxytocin produces uterine contractions and milk ejection, functions related to parturition and nuturing. Studies were conducted to determine if this peptide, native to the brain and the posterior pituitary gland, plays a role in the induction of maternal behavior. Intact virgin female rats were given 0.4 mug of oxytocin, 0.4 mug of [Arg(8)]vasopressin, or saline through lateral ventricular cannulae. Forty-two percent of intact rats receiving oxytocin displayed full maternal behavior towards foster pups. None of the saline- or vasopressin-treated animals displayed full maternal behavior. Criteria in five behavioral categories had to be fulfilled by an animal within 2 hr of injection for its behavior to be considered fully maternal. When partial maternal responses were considered, oxytocin was significantly more effective than saline and marginally more effective than vasopressin. Five animals responding fully maternally after oxytocin injection were allowed to stay with pups for 10 days. All five continued to display full maternal behavior during this time. Nearly all animals that responded fully maternally to oxytocin injection were in the last day of diestrus or in proestrus or estrus. This suggested that elevated or recently elevated levels of estrogen may be necessary for the induction of full maternal behavior by oxytocin. Twenty-seven virgin female rats were ovariectomized and given either 100 mug of estradiol benzoate per kg in oil subcutaneously or oil alone immediately after operation. Forty-eight hours later, all animals received 0.4 mug of oxytocin intracerebroventricularly. Eleven of 13 estrogen-primed animals became fully maternal; none of 14 nonprimed animals became fully maternal.
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PMID:Induction of maternal behavior in virgin rats after intracerebroventricular administration of oxytocin. 29 52

An immunoelectronmicroscopic method for the specific localization of neurohypophyseal hormones was developed in neurohypophyses of Wistar and Brattleboro rats, the latter strain being homozygous for diabetes insipidus. If the proper precautions were omitted, a marked cross reactivity between anti-vasopressin and anti-oxytocin preparations was found. Cross reaction of an anti-vasopressin plasma with oxytocin, at a dilution of less than 1:1600, resulted in electron density of all granules within neurosecretory fibres of the Brattleboro and Wistar neurohypophyses. However, this cross reactivity could be eliminated either by sufficient dilution of the anti-plasma, or by its purification. Purification of the antibodies was performed by absorption to agarose beads coated with the cross reacting component. Upon incubation with anti-vasopressin (diluted unpurified 1:1600 or purified 1:80) and unpurified anti-oxytocin (1:400) plasma, sections of a Wistar neurohypophysis revealed two types of neurosecretory fibres, containing either electron dense or lucent granules. Oxytocin and vasopressin containing neurosecretory fibres were found as clusters in the neurohypophysis. The specificity of both unpurified anti-vasopressin (1:1600) and anti-oxytocin (1:400) plasma was confirmed on serial sections of a Wistar neurohypophysis, alternately incubated with the solutions of the two antibodies. These data prove that the one-cell-one-hormone hypothesis holds true for the hypothalamic-neurohypophyseal system.
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PMID:Specific immunoelectronmicroscopic localization of vasopressin and oxytocin in the neurohypophysis of the rat. 31 9

Synthetic oxytocin and [8-arginine]-vasopressin conjugated to bovine thyroglobulin were used to induce specific antibodies in rabbits. The specificity of the anti-oxytocin serum, and the suitability of the anti-[8-arginine]-vasopressin serum for the detection of [8-lysine]-vasopressin, was evaluated by immunofluorescent studies of the respective hormones bound to Sepharose 4B particles. Oxytocin and [8-lysine]-vasopressin were specifically localized in the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei of the pig hypothalamus using the immunoperoxidase staining technique. After an examination of serial transverse and sagittal sections stained for either of the hormones we observed that: 1. In the rostral SON, oxytocin and vasopressin containing neurons were uniformly distributed; 2. In the caudal SON, most of the neurons contained oxytocin, but there were still a few 'vasopressin' neurons; 3. In the rostral PVN, the two hormones were evenly spread in neurons close to the third ventricle; 4. In the caudal PVN, the oxytocin and vasopressin containing neurons were differentially distributed, with 'oxytocin' neurons adjacent to the third ventricle, and 'vasopressin' neurons lateral to these and concentrated in the dorso-caudal PVN. In the cells of the PVN, there was evidence that the distribution of oxytocin and vasopressin is similar to the distribution of porcine neurophysin-II and porcine neurophysin-I respectively. This similarity is consistent with the one hormone--one neurophysin concept in the pig.
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PMID:Immunocytochemical study of the hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system. III. Localization of oxytocin- and vasopressin-containing neurons in the pig hypothalamus. 32 54

50 pregnant women were included in a double-blind study aimed at determining whether oral prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) can effectively prime an unripe cervix prior to oxytocin induction of labor. Study participants ranged in age from 20-37 years and were 36-41 weeks pregnant. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either PGE2 or a placebo. 2 tablets were administered at 3 hour intervals for 3 doses. Oxytocin infusion began 9-11 hours after the 3rd dose of oral medication and was increased until adequate uterine contractions were induced. No difference in the frequency of contractions was seen in the 2 groups during priming; however, PGE2 patients showed a 2 point advance in Bishop score, which was significantly greater than the 0.7 change in the control group. The most striking finding was that 6 women in the PGE2 group, compared with 1 in the placebo group, went into active labor during the priming phase and delivered without induction. Oxytocin failed to induce effective labor in 9 patients in each group. There was no difference between the 15 control and 10 PGE2 patients successfully induced in terms of duration or dosage of oxytocin. However, the more inducible patients in the PGE2 group may have begun labor before oxytocin induction, rendering the groups less equivalent for the induction part of the study. These results suggest that oral PGE2 priming results in an easier course to delivery, although not in a higher incidence of successful induction. It is recommended that the PGE2-oxytocin induction regimen be studied in patients at various stages of induction, perhaps with an increased dosage of PGE2 or a shorter interval between dosages.
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PMID:Uterine priming with oral prostaglandin E2 prior to elective induction with oxytocin. 33 16

The efficacy and safety of oxytocin, dexamethasone and prostaglandin, used alone or in combination as inducing agents, are discussed. It is contended that insufficient evidence exists to support the routine application of any of these methods in practice. Oxytocin has been the most widely used and it is claimed by some to be free from side effects. However, the synthetic prostaglandin analogue, fluprostenol, seems to pose the least risk to the foetus and dexamethasone appears to be either ineffective, or too dangerous to use at all. The main indications for induced foaling are managerial convenience or for research and teaching purposes. There are few clinical indications, although ventral rupture and cases of prolonged gestation have been mentioned by various workers. It is considered that foetal maturity is the pre-requisite before a decision to induce should be made in practice, and 3 criteria are essential: 1) a gestational length of greater than 320 days, 2) substantial mammary development, 3) the presence of colostrum in the mammae.
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PMID:A critical review of current methods for induction of parturition in the mare. 33 56

Perfusion of rat brain followed by immersion fixation with 2.5% glutaraldehyde-1% paraformaldehyde, purification of the first antisera and application of the unlabelled antibody enzyme method were used to specifically identify vasopressin and oxytocin containing cells and fibres. The conventional sites of production of these hormones were confirmed as follows: supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei, suprachiasmatic nucleus (only vasopressin), and other cells and cell groups of the hypothalamus. Fibres from the suprachiasmatic nucleus spread out in various direction, and probably project to the nucleus praeopticus periventricularis, organum vasculosum laminae terminalis and in the direction of the supraoptic nucleus. Oxytocin and vasopressin containing pathways could be traced from the paraventricular nucleus to the lateral ventricle, the stria terminalis and the stria medullaris. Some of the oxytocin and vasopressin containing tracts appear to continue onto ther septum. The possible importance of these morphological findings for the behavioural effects of vasopressin and oxytocin is discussed.
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PMID:Intra- and extrahypothalamic vasopressin and oxytocin pathways in the rat. 34 6

Blood loss and the frequency of vomiting were assessed at 88 spontaneous vertex deliveries. An i.v. injection of oxytocin 10 u was as effective as ergometrine 0.5 mg in controlling bleeding from the uterus after delivery. The continuous infusion of a dilute solution of oxytocin in the first stage of labour was not followed by an increased blood loss at delivery. Oxytocin infusions were maintained for 1 h after delivery. Vomiting or retching occurred in 13% of the mothers who received i.v. ergometrine. None of the women who received oxytocin suffered emetic sequelae.
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PMID:Ergometrine or oxytocin? Blood loss and side-effects at spontaneous vertex delivery. 37 50


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